Archive for October, 2014

Sometimes we are confronted with an election in which the candidates for both major political parties support issues contrary to Catholic Social Teaching.
What do we do? Not vote?
That's when we look for guidance in "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," a booklet published by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"Faithful Citizenship" tells us that "in the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political ...

Oct. 20, 2014 show
CCI Executive Director and host Bob Gilligan welcomes Kim Daniels, former spokeswoman for the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and now a senior adviser at Catholic Voices USA. Daniels attended the just-completed Synod in Rome and offers her perspective. Mary Hallan-FioRito, executive assistant to Cardinal George, offers a look at the accomplishments of Cardinal George as he approaches retirement. Brian Burch of CatholicVote.org joins Bob briefly to talk about his new book, ...

As we approach the Nov. 4 general election, our Illinois bishops offer a few words of guidance for voters before they cast their ballots.
Read the bishops' message below, or click here for a PDF version. Read the Spanish translation here. Read the Polish translation here.
Voters are also encouraged to read "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," a guide published by the U.S. Conference of ...

The following is an op-ed by CCI Executive Director Robert Gilligan. It was published in the State Journal-Register in Springfield, and several other media outlets. The link to the SJ-R can be found here.
Illinois residents can expect to spend extra time in the voting booth come Nov. 4, since the ballot will not only feature candidates for the governor’s office, the state legislature and Congress, but a ...

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops today submitted comments on the revised HHS mandate accommodation issued on Aug. 22, noting the interim final rules do not change the mandate itself, or its extremely narrow exemption offered to churches but not service and other religious organizations.
The U.S. bishops had initially given the revised HHS mandate accommodation a thumbs down, but took the opportunity to submit formal comments crafted ...

This is the first newsletter since the end-of-session report was issued in early June. We review the major pieces of education legislation that were passed during the spring session, and remind you of some important administrative deadlines coming up this fall. Read all about it in the October 2014 Education Newsletter.